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malemutekid · Feb 26, 2003, 04:27 PM

this was my message that did not get added (Safari). I recently got an iBook 12" 800 128MB 30GB Combo Drive. I've added 256MB and and an airport card. I am a college student and wonder if it is worth scrimping and saving for Apple Care. I've thought about taking the money I have now, and getting the Powermate USB Knob.

Timo · Feb 26, 2003, 04:35 PM

Worth it.

AppleCare replaced my PB G3 (firewire) screen...something like a $1100 job.

-Q- · Feb 26, 2003, 04:57 PM

It's definitely worth it for portables as they're a bit more prone to having issues it seems.

However, be aware that if you drop it or spill something on it, AppleCare won't cover that. It only covers mechanical defects and things that break of their own volition.

SupahCoolX · Feb 26, 2003, 11:02 PM

AppleCare won't protect you from your own stupidity or carelessness, but it can be a lifesaver if something breaks. The parts on laptops are generally more expensive, so AppleCare can really save you if you need something replaced. The LCD screens alone are several hundred dollars, and you don't ever want to pay for a replacement!

El Diablo · Feb 27, 2003, 01:27 AM

You have up to one year after your iBook purchase to buy an AppleCare policy. I waited too long and never bought it. I ended up having to pay $300 for a screen problem that would have been repaired under warranty with AppleCare.

If you are a student, there is a good likely hood you could get an educational discount. Applecare also raises the resale price of your laptop if you plan on selling in the next 3 years or so.

entiZ · Feb 27, 2003, 08:12 AM

Don't you get a year warrenty when you purchase the ibook that covers malfunctions? If so you could just wait until like month 9 or 10 then start putting in for your applecare.

Parky · Feb 27, 2003, 08:55 AM

AppleCare is worth it !!

Here in the UK any repair to an iBook seems to have a fixed price of around �300.

As AppleCare costs less than �300, it is worth it if it ever gets used.

I suppose at the end of the 3 years if you have not had to use it, you might feel a bit cheated, but you will have had a fault free machine.

That is much better than having to keep paying out for repairs if you get a bad machine.

I would shop around for your AppleCare though. Apple raised the prices online recently, but some resellers still have them at old prices. I saved �60 in the UK this way.

Justin Hancock · Feb 27, 2003, 12:13 PM

I have a few inquiries about Apple Care. First off, do the three years of Apple Care start after my initial one year warranty is up? Does it start once I order Apple Care? Or does it start from when I first bought my iBook (thus only extending it two years past the factory one year warranty), regardless of when I ordered Apple Care?

stew · Feb 27, 2003, 02:19 PM

AppleCare extends your one year warranty to three years, and you can purchase it until the last day of your one year warranty.

It's worth it, and I say this as someone who did not buy it an never had any problems with his iBook (knock on wood): Two days ago, the harddrive in my Dell notebook went belly up, and I'm a few months over the warranty. That's EUR 200,- for a new drive

dreilly1 · Feb 27, 2003, 02:27 PM

Remember that AppleCare is just an extended warranty for manufacturing defects, it is not necessarily an insurance policy against theft, accident, or the like.

Now, my credit card supposedly doubles the warranty on products bought with it. So, AppleCare only really buys me one extra year, doesn't it?

We are debating whether to get the AppleCare for my wife's new PB. But our insurance agent is willing to put a personal property policy together for not too much per year. That policy will cover theft, accident, and the like, anywhere (not just our house, which is all the homeowners' policy covers) but not manufacturing defects. Your insurange agent probably would do the same thing, if you just ask.

Decisions, decisions.

dampeoples · Feb 27, 2003, 03:16 PM

<knock on wood>
I got it with my iBook, but thankfully I've never had to use it.

xtal · Feb 28, 2003, 10:33 AM

Unless you figure that the Powermate you want will be able to help you replace the logic board of your iBook two years down the road, I'd get AppleCare.

kybernaut · Feb 28, 2003, 12:52 PM

Hhhmm, does anyone knows, what happens if you did replace your HD?

The thing is I'm at the end of my 1-year warranty and am contemplating AppleCare. Will they refuse, considering the HD upgrade?

kybernaut

-Q- · Feb 28, 2003, 04:54 PM

Originally posted by kybernaut:
Hhhmm, does anyone knows, what happens if you did replace your HD?

The thing is I'm at the end of my 1-year warranty and am contemplating AppleCare. Will they refuse, considering the HD upgrade?

kybernaut

If you performed the upgrade yourself, you voided your warranty and they'll likely not sell you AppleCare. Now, you could fail to inform them of your upgrade, but if they find out, they'd likely cancel your AppleCare and you'd be out $300...

Even if an Authorized service center did the replacement, I still think that voids the warranty as I don't think service centers are authorized to replace HDDs in iBooks....

SeSawaya · Feb 28, 2003, 06:07 PM

Want applecare did for me on my ibook 500 was replace my keyboard cause one of the keys kept popping off and they also gave me a new battery . I had some issues on start up one time and they got me though it with no problems. I'd say I got at least my $300 back. Had anything happend like the HD crash (like my 1400 did) then it would've been money in the bank.

Totally worth it if you keep it over a year. BTW 3 years is the total the warenty will last even if you buy it at the end of the first year. So you only get 2 years then.

kybernaut · Feb 28, 2003, 07:46 PM

Originally posted by -Q-:
If you performed the upgrade yourself, you voided your warranty and they'll likely not sell you AppleCare. Now, you could fail to inform them of your upgrade, but if they find out, they'd likely cancel your AppleCare and you'd be out $300...

Even if an Authorized service center did the replacement, I still think that voids the warranty as I don't think service centers are authorized to replace HDDs in iBooks....

OK, that's what I expected. Since I had most of the iBook 'issues' fixed, I hope it will work reliably for the time being...

Regards,

kybernaut

bradoesch · Mar 1, 2003, 10:26 AM

Originally posted by dreilly1:
Now, my credit card supposedly doubles the warranty on products bought with it. So, AppleCare only really buys me one extra year, doesn't it?

What credit cards do this? I'm thinking about applying for one, but I'd like one that offers me this extra warranty.

xtal · Mar 1, 2003, 11:27 AM

Originally posted by bradoesch:
What credit cards do this? I'm thinking about applying for one, but I'd like one that offers me this extra warranty.

I have a standard Bank of Montreal MasterCard that offers this service, although I've never used it.

It also has 'theft protection' for any product you purchase on it, within 90 days of purchase.

www.bmo.com/mastercard

bradoesch · Mar 1, 2003, 04:12 PM

Originally posted by xtal:
I have a standard Bank of Montreal MasterCard that offers this service, although I've never used it.

It also has 'theft protection' for any product you purchase on it, within 90 days of purchase.

www.bmo.com/mastercard

Interesting. I was looking into the Mosiak MasterCard, is that the same thing?

Lateralus · Mar 1, 2003, 04:55 PM

Worth it.

xtal · Mar 1, 2003, 05:36 PM

Originally posted by bradoesch:
Interesting. I was looking into the Mosiak MasterCard, is that the same thing?

You're correct. They rebranded their line as Mosaik last fall. My card expired around then, so they sent me a brand new one with the new logo. I'm the first one I know to have one.

xtal · Mar 1, 2003, 05:38 PM

Might I add that 'clever' mispellings by companies for new products is annoying...

siluni · Mar 3, 2003, 08:07 AM

Worth it, for sure. Smalldog (http://www.smalldog.com) usually has Applecare for a discount. They currently offer iBook Applecare for $209 instead of $249, so you could get this and the PowerMate for about the same price you'd pay for just Applecare elsewhere.

malemutekid · Mar 5, 2003, 07:46 PM

Thanks for all the information. I have decided to budget a certain amount each month and buy at the end of my first year. Since I am a student, they offer it to me for I think $189. Oh yeah, I also went ahead and bought the Powermate.

Simon · Mar 6, 2003, 06:20 AM

Originally posted by malemutekid:
Oh yeah, I also went ahead and bought the Powermate.

I think I have seen the PowerMate before, but could you tell me what it is good for? I'm just wondering. Is it a mouse replacement or a companion device?

Justin Hancock · Mar 6, 2003, 11:53 AM

I believe I'll be getting AppleCare just because I won't have the money to buy a new Apple system when/if my iBook's screen or some other expensive part on it goes bad.

Like they always say, better safe than sorry.

xtal · Mar 6, 2003, 12:07 PM

Originally posted by Simon:
I think I have seen the PowerMate before, but could you tell me what it is good for? I'm just wondering. Is it a mouse replacement or a companion device?

There was a great thread on the Powermate about a week or two ago in the Peripherals section. I believe it was called 'Powermate'.

The wildest example I heard of this device was attaching it via a USB extension cable and mounting it on the wall near a bed/couch and using it to control iTunes. Crazy!

malemutekid · Mar 6, 2003, 12:14 PM

here is the link to the powermate's web page. I think it is great. I use it mostly for iTunes.

http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/powermate/

Simon · Mar 6, 2003, 03:39 PM

Thanks for the info guys. I took a look at the Griffin page and I found the thread in the peripheral area.

It seems it's a pretty cool gadget, but I doubt I really need it.

bleee · Mar 6, 2003, 10:47 PM

I finally caved and shelled out $389.00CAD at the end of my first year. After looking at 3rd party/eBay prices for iBook parts seems to me that even the most minor repair will cover the cost of Apple Care especially things like keyboards which are hard to come by. I wish they would just open an Apple store in Toronto it would make things so much easier

xtal · Mar 7, 2003, 12:14 AM

Originally posted by Simon:
It seems it's a pretty cool gadget, but I doubt I really need it.

Trust me, I know how you feel.

imago dei · Mar 7, 2003, 01:13 AM

I must also strongly reccomend AppleCare. Two years ago, I bought the service plan with my iBook. It has repaired:

several broken keys
an unclosable DVD drive door
a faulty screen latch
rubber feet on the bottom of the machine
weak battery (replaced with a brand new one)
faulty AC adapter (also replaced with a brand new one)

Some of the repairs were necessary after my iBook took a rather nasty fall from the foot of a bed, but the other problems showed up over time. I'm quite pleased with the money I spent, as the battery and adapter alone paid for the cost of AppleCare on the machine. To anyone looking to obtain a plan, I'd suggest buying it from SmallDog, as they seem to have the lowest priced plans outside of educational/employee discounts.

-imago dei

suprz's ghost · Mar 7, 2003, 08:25 AM

i will be getting applecare as soon as my regualr warranty gets close to ending. the prices to repair and laptop are just too expensive to take the chance and letting your warranty lapse.